ZSR Announces First Cohort of All For NC Fellows Four young innovators each receive $75,000 for one year to carry out a bold idea for NC

Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) is excited to announce its first cohort of All For NC Fellows.

Trustees have awarded All For NC Fellowships of $75,000 each to four young change makers, all between the ages of 21 and 35, with bold ideas for how to make a difference in North Carolina and its communities. The All For NC Fellowship is a 12-month program designed to provide funding, coaching and mentoring to young North Carolina residents who have a vision and plan that could contribute to a better life for North Carolina’s people and communities.

Below is a brief description of each Fellow’s proposal:

Danielle Adams, age 35, is a resident of Durham, NC. Through the All For NC Fellowship, Adams seeks to bring a racial and gender equity lens to the emerging, legalized industrial hemp and cannabis industry throughout North Carolina. Her project serves three main purposes including education; agriculture and farming support; and entrepreneurship. Adams wants to ensure that this emerging market will benefit people of color, especially women of color, so as to not reinforce historical inequities.

Stefania Arteaga, age 23, is a resident of Charlotte. She is a community educator and organizer for immigrants’ rights and co-founded Comunidad Colectiva – a grassroots group in Mecklenburg County. Through the All For NC Fellowship, Arteaga seeks to build a network of pro-bono/low-bono attorneys who can assist immigrants with legal matters in Charlotte, while simultaneously building community power and resilience throughout immigrant communities in Charlotte.

Cedric Harrison, age 30, is an entrepreneurial and trusted leader who is working towards transformational change in his hometown of Wilmington, NC. Through the All For NC Fellowship, Harrison will work towards building up Support The Port – an emerging venture that tackles important issues including gun violence, economic development, racial divisions, and the impact of natural disasters – and focus on developing a program promoting entrepreneurial development and meaningful employment in the Wilmington neighborhoods where those in need live. His vision is to build on his relationships with Wilmington business leaders and the African American community to develop programs and services that result in the creation of more minority-led businesses in Wilmington, increased African American employment, and reduced poverty.

Lydia See, age 34, is an artist and educator, and resident of Sylva, NC. Through the All For NC Fellowship, See will launch the “Engaging Collections Residency” – inviting creatives to produce collaborative artworks by engaging with local libraries and archives in communities across the state to tell little-known stories about their communities’ pasts, including focusing on the narratives of marginalized communities. The residency is committed to equitable funding for artists in the production of new, site-specific artworks, and includes a strong emphasis on community engagement, requiring that each project prioritize a component which seeks to involve those in their communities who might not often have access to artistic and cultural programs.

“ZSR has a history of supporting bold and cutting-edge ideas, so we are thrilled to embark on this new Fellowship initiative that will invest in the next generation of North Carolinians who are building the North Carolina they want to see,” said Joy Vermillion Heinsohn, assistant director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and lead staff managing the initiative. “We are excited to see how their projects will unfold across the state over the course of the year.”

ZSR received 361 applications for the All For NC Fellowship and, through a selection committee, narrowed the pool to 11 semi-finalists before choosing the four Fellows. ZSR expects to fund three cohorts of Fellows over the course of five years. Up to five Fellows will be selected for each cohort. The All For NC Fellowship is distinctly different from the ZSR Fellowship – a two-year, salaried position at the Foundation.

Over the course of the year, ZSR will document and share more about the work of each Fellow.